"Russian" Gnocchi (remake of Russian Dumplings)

I lived in Bellingham, WA, for many years while my husband and I went to school. Bellingham has great food because the city is full of organic hippy foodies. Things grow well for local farmers and I am spoiled to have lived there. One restaurant that exists is a hole in the wall- no frills- Russian dumpling place called Pel'meni. (1211 State Street, Bellingham, WA 98225) (SIDE NOTE: You can listen to THIS song about Bellingham and here the "Hot Russian Dumplings" mentioned.)

All you can order is meat (ground beef) or potato pelmeni (aka dumplings). (They're a little smaller that a traditional perogy.) They are made locally, and frozen. Once you order, they pull the selected dumplings out of the freezer and boil them in either the meat water pot or the potato pot. When they're cooked through, they put them in a little box, add melted butter, a sauce made of Sriracha hot sauce--watered down with some white vinegar and water, sprinkled with dry curry powder, cilantro, and served with a side of sour cream--oh, and a slice of rye bread (a weak version). It's $7. You can buy canned soda if you want to splurge but that's all the options (as of now). It tastes so good. I prefer the potato. It's just perfect easy uncomplicated food. 

Yeah, I've Lost Some Weight...Thanks for Noticing! No Really, Thanks!

April 2014- Easter Sunday

I've never really talked online about my weight. I guess I don't want to jinx any success nor feel bad if I fail. BUT...I thought I'd talk about it since I've getting asked more and more if I've lost weight. (That feels nice.)

So, last summer-ish time (2013) I attempted to loose some weight...after having my second child. I had started noticing my ankles getting larger--and my hand was going numb when I slept on my side (and other reasons) really made me want to take control over my body's physical future as much as possible. I was 210 pounds to start. I lost 20 pounds pretty quickly by just

September 2014

jumping on my elliptical for 30 minutes a day and eating a little better. 

BUT by fall, after packing and moving to another home--I got out of my routine...and at the same time had stopped nursing my baby. Within a month or 2, I gained back 10 pounds. I was feeling dissapointed and realized I still didn't know what I was doing. 

By January 2014, I was working out regualarly again and eating healthy...but wasn't loosing weight. My nursing had given me magical weight loss abilities that I couldn't seem to compensate for. I was left feeling frustrated and out of control. My body seemed to have a mind of it's own...if IT wanted to gain weight, IT was going to and I was a compelled to follow along. I was 200 pounds and feeling helpless when it came to weight loss. There was NO WAY I was going to pay money to loose weight-- especially if I didn't know what I was doing. (Not interested in commercial plans--or supplements, etc.) 

Family Photos 2014

The dreamy photographer, Mrs. Courtney Price, has done it AGAIN! (You can read about the prior time HERE and HERE.) She captured our family in digital form on a visit to Lynden on August 16, 2014 and I was so happy with how they turned out! It reminds me of how important it is to get GOOD family photos done. We really didn't have any photos of Max (our almost 2 year old) up on the wall, especially none with all of us in the same photo.

I wanted to share some of the results that now grace our walls. Enjoy!

This is our one of the BIG WINNERS--we hung at our house.

Sports Bras (G-rated)

I don't mean to start out sounding scandalous by titling my post "Sports Bras", but I really do want to talk about 2 of my 3 sports bras. Not a review or interest in other

Young Lindsay on her Honeymoon (2006)

people's reviews, rather how I acquired them because its so unusual.

Acquisition History of 2 sports bras:

      When I got married to my husband, it was his 2nd marriage (and last folks). He had been married to another woman, and it didn't work out. This was cool for me because I got a man who really appreciated me....and the stuff that prior-married people seem to have-- like a dinning room table and cutting boards. So, one day about a month after we had gotten married and moved into our first apartment, we were unpacking a box of his "old-stuff". Inside it there were random things from his mission in Japan, pens, and photos...but there were two things that caught my attention-- brand new- tags on- sports bras. One grey and one white. I probably smiled and rolled my eyes before I said, "Who are these?" Shaun, my husband, didn't blush the way I had hoped but picked them up and threw them towards the trash. 

Interview With My 5 Year Old

Today, I asked my newly turned 5 year old son to sit down and let me ask him a few questions. He had just come inside (after practicing his casting with his fishing pole). His mind was still very focused on his previous activity when he answered these this afternoon. I think you will notice this as well.

Q: What's your name?
A: Enoch

Q: How old are you?
A: Uummmm, 5.

Q: What's your favorite thing to do?
A: Fish because fishing is so much fun and I love to go.

Q: Have you ever been fishing before?
A: I don't know. Ummm... and tonight I'm gonna go.

Q: Who are you going fishing with?
A: Daddy and Seth and Gray.

Q: Do you think you'll catch any fish?
A: Yeah. I think I'll catch fish. I think I would. I think I would.

Q: Do you like to eat fish?
A: Yeah.